MURALS can change the way a neighborhood looks -- and the way a neighborhood looks at itself. And the Sprout Fund, a non-profit organization that’s trying to connect young people to Pittsburgh communities in all sorts of ways, has been coordinating a “public art” program since early 2003, bringing life and color and imagination to bare and forgotten or overlooked walls in various places around the city.

WQED Producer Rick Sebak says he first learned about the program because of the mural that went up in his own neighborhood of Regent Square in 2002. “It’s a bird’s-eye-view of my neighborhood,” says Rick, “and I really like it, even though it doesn’t include my house. I just think it's an intriguing and fanciful addition to the local landscape, and I wanted to know more.” Rick soon learned that his WQED colleague Minette Seate had been part of the mural approval process through the Sprout Fund, and Minette introduced Rick to Morton Brown.

Morton Brown has painted murals (and other works of art) in his home state of Arkansas, as well as in the Philadelphia area where he worked with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. He has been coordinating the Sprout Fund’s public art program since 2003, bringing together interested communities and skilled artists, always hoping to show that both groups can work together for everyone’s benefit, making neighborhoods more lively and visually delightful.

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featured specials

WQED is pleased to partner with Highmark to bring you these special reports on "Men & Cancer" and "Women & Cancer." Every year cancer claims the lives of nearly 300,000 men in America. According to the American Cancer Society, getting the facts about cancer is an important step in taking care of your overall health.

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featured specials

WQED is pleased to partner with Highmark to bring you these special reports on "Men & Cancer" and "Women & Cancer." Every year cancer claims the lives of nearly 300,000 men in America. According to the American Cancer Society, getting the facts about cancer is an important step in taking care of your overall health.